Seen on:
as known from New York Timesas known from USA Todayas known from yahoo!
VA
The Grueling Truth - Where Legends Speak / Latest Football News & Rumors: Tailored for You / 40-Year Phiniversary: Dolphins Top Lions to Clinch AFC East Title

40-Year Phiniversary: Dolphins Top Lions to Clinch AFC East Title

Miami returns to the playoffs after a drought
Publish Date: 12/09/2019
Fact checked by: Mike Goodpaster
CIRCA 1970's: Running back Larry Csonka #39 of the Miami Dolphins talks with head coach Don Shula on the sidelines circa mid 1970's during an NFL football game. Csonka played for the Dolphins from 1968-74 and 1979. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

After being the NFL’s most dominant team for the early parts of 1970s, the Miami Dolphins had taken a step back during the middle and later part of the decade.

From 1971-74, the Dolphins won the AFC East every year, reached the Super Bowl three times and won it twice. In 1975 and 1976, Miami failed to make the playoffs before settling for a wild card spot in the next two seasons. On this day 40 years, Miami would clinch its first division crown in five years with a 28-10 win over the lowly Detroit Lions.

The Dolphins were coming off a big 39-24 win over the New England Patriots as they arrived at the Pontiac Silverdome on Dec. 9, 1979. Miami held a 1-game lead over the Patriots and needed only to win to clinch the division.

Miami wasted no time seizing control of the contest as quarterback Bob Griese fired first-quarter touchdown passes of 25 and 29 yards to Nat Moore and Jimmy Cefalo, respectively. Detroit cut the lead to 11 at halftime, but the Dolphins’ defense continued to dominate in the second half.

The Lions netted just 182 yards of offense on the day as Miami tallied six sacks and forced three turnovers. Neal Colzie and Tim Foley each came up with interceptions in the victory.

Miami extended the lead to 21-3 in the third quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run by Larry Csonka. Gary Davis added a 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Lions finally found the end zone late in the contest on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Scott Hunter to Gene Washington.

Griese finished the day with 229 yards passing, the two scores and an interception. Moore led all receivers with 78 yards receiving on four catches. Freddie Scott caught four passes for 65 yards to lead the Lions.

The Dolphins would lose at home to the New York Jets the following week and then to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Division round. That would be Miami’s final playoff game with Griese under center. The division title that allowed Miami to play in that game was clinched on this day four decades ago.

Mike Ferguson is a contributor for The Grueling Truth, covering Florida sports and sports history. Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. To keep up with all of his work, like his Facebook page.

Read Also
Esteban de Jesus, Roberto Duran y AIDS (1972-89)
Many of us dream of celebrity sports fame, but only cruel individuals ...
Come Fly with me: How the 1988-89 Chicago Bulls pushed forward to an NBA dynasty.
Find the best sportsbook to bet on the NBA Playoffs! Prologue: By ...
Bet365 Promo
Every NFL teamโ€™s best player not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame- NFC East
The Pro Football Hall of Fame houses the greatest players in NFL ...
Predicting the next five Pro Football Hall of Fame classes
Induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is ...
Ranking the top 200 players in the NFL ahead of the 2021 season
This list isnโ€™t based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. ...
Top 100 NFL free agents entering the 2021 offseason
Below is a list of the top 100 free agents available this ...
Lady Tygerโ€™s Tale: How Marian Trimiar Mauled the Boxing Establishment of the 1970s and 80s
To Feed the Ambition in Your Heart is Like Carrying a Tiger ...
The Army Boxer Who Knocked-Down Muhammad Ali (1960)
I had wanted to write a boxing story about Junebug Hudson for ...
Creating the NFL 2010s All-Decade Third Team from Snubs
The NFL recently announced the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade Teams ...
The Detroit Lions: A legacy of failure
I grew up near Detroit all my life until just recently. ย My ...
Latest News
Fisher vs Allen 2: Can Johnny Make Necessary Improvements?ย 
The rematch of a somewhat controversial split-decision between ...
George Foster: The Power Behind the Big Red Machine
George Arthur Foster was born on December 1, ...
Connie Hawkins: The Hawk Who Soared Despite the Chains
Connie Hawkins, known as โ€œThe Hawk,โ€ was one ...
The 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Two Sprints and four regular Grands Prix are ...
The 1960 U.S. Menโ€™s Olympic Basketball Team: The Original Dream team
When the Summer Olympics tipped off in Rome ...
Top Betting Sites
Top Betting Bonuses
DraftKings
DraftKings
DraftKings Review
4.6/5
FanDuel
4.6/5
BetMGM
4.5/5
Bet365
4.5/5
Caesars
4.5/5
DraftKings
DraftKings Promo
Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
FanDuel
FanDuel Promo
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
BetMGM
BetMGM Promo
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Bet365
Bet365 Promo
Get $150 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose when you bet $5!
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Subject to meeting qualifying criteria. Minimum wager $5. Minimum odds -500 or greater. $10 minimum deposit. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New customers only. Available in app only. Max. prize, game restrictions, time limits and T&Cs apply. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
Caesars
Caesars Promo
Bet $1, Double Your Winnings Your Next 10 Bets
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Our Team
Mike GoodpasterJosh SchwartzSimon BriffaMark LewisSamuel Teets
+8
Mike Goodpaster
Mike Goodpaster
Chief Editor
Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
Editor
Simon Briffa
Simon Briffa
Sports Editor
Mark Lewis
Mark Lewis
Editor
Samuel Teets
Samuel Teets
US Sports Veteran
Author Icon
drjaygee
Editor
Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week....
Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week....

21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.
Virginia Town HallCloudflareSSL
Close
Our Sports Pros recommend these awesome sports betting sites this week:
DraftKings
DraftKings Promo
Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Code:
Open DraftKings
Get Bonus
FanDuel
FanDuel Promo
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Code:
Open FanDuel
Get Bonus
BetMGM
BetMGM Promo
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Code:
Open BetMGM
Get Bonus
×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Play now